SPEAKERS
This year, we are thrilled to present an exceptional roster of speakers who are at the forefront of research, clinical practice, and educational innovation. Their contributions are pivotal in enhancing our understanding of human development from infancy through adulthood.
As we delve into the congress, each speaker will bring unique insights and cutting-edge findings, providing a comprehensive view of the current trends and future directions in developmental psychology. Prepare to be inspired by their expertise and to engage in meaningful discussions that will shape the future of our discipline.
Visionary Voices: Keynote Speakers
Scott Wright
USA
Scott Wright is the Anne Gaines and G. Thomas Miller Professor in the Departments of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Wright serves as the Director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Hopkins Bayview. He received his M.D. from McGill University and he then completed his internal medicine residency training at the Montreal General Hospital. After pursuing fellowship training at Hopkins, he joined the faculty in 1997.
Dr. Wright’s contributions to the field of medical education, through his own research and the mentoring of others, have been published in leading biomedical research journals. In recognition of his research accomplishments, Dr. Wright was elected to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
Dr. Wright has been providing longitudinal primary care to patients in Baltimore since 1995 and he serves as a teaching attending on Hopkins’ inpatient medical service. For his teaching efforts, he was elected to membership in Alpha Omega Alpha.
With colleagues, he established the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence at Hopkins. Dr. Wright serves as Director of the Academy which is committed to recognizing and promoting excellence in patient care. Dr. Wright is also the Co-Director of Hopkins’ Center for Humanizing Medicine; un this role, he is supported as the Mary & David Gallo Scholar through Hopkins’ Center for Innovative Medicine.
Dr. Wright serves on the Advisory Board of the Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center at Columbia University’s Medical Center, and he is on the Steering Committee of the Global Research on Developmental Disabilities Collaboration.
Waleska lopez
guatemala
Waleska is originally from Patzún, Chimaltenango and is proudly Kaqchikel Maya. She received her medical doctorate from the Autonomous University of Mexico and completed her clinical training at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. Waleska has worked extensively in Mexico and Guatemala for Ministry of Health programs to extend coverage to rural areas. She is the Chief Medical Officer for Wuqu’ Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance.
Bernadette Daelmans
netherlands
JOaquin Barnoya
guatemala
Ramzi Nasir
Palestine
Dr Nasir is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician who trained at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health. He currently practices in London, UK at imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and in private practice.
Dr Nasir’s early years were spent in Palestine and Jordan experiencing first-hand the impact of war and conflict on children and families. As a professional, he has a specific interest in promoting equality and human rights for often neglected groups of children caught up in humanitarian disasters, especially war and conflict. Within this scope, he has led and participated in global training workshops (including at previous IDPA congresses); and authored 2 book chapters on the needs of children with neurodevelopmental differences and disabilities in humanitarian settings. He also serves as a clinical consultant and advisor to humanitarian organizations such as Doctors without Borders and Medical Aid for Palestinians. Additionally, he is a founding member of EMRAN (The Eastern Mediterranean Region Autism & developmental disability Network), a network that seeks to promote research, advocacy and professional capacity building in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Other professional interests include the rights and needs of LGBTQ+ children and young people in the Global South, on which he has organized workshops/trainings at previous IDPA congresses.
Gabriela Montenegro
guatemala
Gabriela Montenegro Bethancourt es doctora en Nutrición por la Universidad de Bonn y secretaria nacional de ciencia y tecnología en Guatemala. Su trayectoria científica se ha centrado en nutrición, salud pública y seguridad alimentaria, con un enfoque en poblaciones indígenas. Ha sido becaria de la Academia de Nutrición y Dietética y de la Alianza Maya para la Salud, donde lideró el Proyecto Saqmolo’. En 2023, fue galardonada con el premio OWSD-Elsevier para Mujeres Científicas del Mundo en Desarrollo. Desde la Senacyt, impulsa la reducción de inequidades en ciencia y tecnología, promoviendo el empoderamiento de las mujeres y abordando áreas clave como salud, medio ambiente, tecnología y acceso al conocimiento científico
Innovators & Thought Leaders: Session Leaders
nandita de souza
india
Nandita de Souza is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and self ADHDvocate, whose raison d’etre is children. She is the Director of the Sethu Centre for Child Development & Family Guidance in Goa, India. Fiercely committed to a strengths-based, neurodiversity affirming and family centred approach, Sethu build bridges of hope with all who care for children to create a more just and joyful world for every child.
koyeli sengupta
india
Mayada Elsabbagh
Canada
Dr. Mayada Elsabbagh is a Professor in Neurology and Neurosurgery at The Neuro of McGill University. She is also appointed as a Research Scientist at the McGill University Health Centre where her program is integrated with diagnosis and support services for autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Her research focuses on understanding the root causes of autism and tracing its developmental pathways across the lifespan. Her team uses developmental models to explain complex interactions of risk and protective factors leading to variable outcomes in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Her scientific contributions include the discovery of very early brain function markers for autism before the onset of behavioural signs and the scale-up of community-based interventions. The approach combines innovative research with the mission of accelerating the pace of discovery and its translation into community impact. To achieve this, the team relies on converging methods that span techniques for the study of brain development (EEG, eye-tracking), behavioural and clinical assessment tools, and novel qualitative methods to capture first-person perspectives of children and youth. Dr. Elsabbagh has supported the successful launch of several collaborative research and translational networks in Canada and Europe, including the Transforming Autism Care Consortium (TACC), a Quebec research network supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec and several community partners. Dr. Elsabbagh is a program director of the Canadian Neurodevelopment Research Training (CanNRT) platform. She is also active in global efforts to improve evidence-based practice in the community and capacity building in low -and middle-income countries. These efforts include CST-Canada, a clinical trials platform for the WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST) Program, which integrates research, training, and international exchange, expanding access to evidence-informed intervention in the community.
Jeffrey Goldhagen
usa
Jeffrey Goldhagen, MD, MPH is a Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Community and Societal Pediatrics at the University of Florida-Jacksonville and President of the International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP). He has extensive experience in domestic and international maternal and child health; urban health; medical education; the core functions of public health; health care administration; hospice and palliative medicine; and in child rights and advocacy. He has provided leadership nationally in the development of comprehensive public health systems and systems of care for children’s medical and behavioral health. Dr. Goldhagen’s international experience includes extensive work on four continents. As the President of ISSOP, he is currently working with a global consortium of professionals and organizations to advance the health and well-being of children—including addressing issues of violence against children, migration, climate change, among other current matters addressing child rights violations.
roopa srinivasan
india
karyn choy
guatemala
sara hidalgo
guatemala
Eva Tuiz
GUATEMALA
Nurse, research manager in a child development program, with over five years of experience leading field programs and work teams. Her work focuses on the planning, coordination, and execution of field studies aimed at improving children’s quality of life, ensuring that each research project is carried out with determination, efficiency, and a high-quality care approach that responds to the real needs of the community.
As an Indigenous person and a Kaqchikel speaker, she understands the importance of culturally relevant research, integrating scientific knowledge while respecting community traditions. Her approach promotes respect, inclusion, and the improvement of living conditions for children.
Her commitment to research excellence and team management has enabled the successful implementation of child development projects, ensuring that findings significantly contribute to the formulation of programs and policies focused on child development. Her goal is to continue contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field, optimizing processes, and ensuring that each study has a positive impact on the lives of those who need it most.
revan mustafa
turkey
Dr. Revan Mustafa is a developmental pediatrician who has devoted his professional career to implementation and dissemination of healthcare services related to supporting early childhood development. He is an international Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) trainer, and has supported Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan in training national GMCD trainers. He is committed to supporting regional healthcare professionals in building their skills and competencies necessary for addressing developmental difficulties. Dr. Mustafa is one of WHO and UNICEF consultants in ECD in Europe and Central Asia region, and an executive board member of International Developmental Pediatrics Association (IDPA).
Ana Vides Porras
guatemala
Ana Vides Porras
Dr. Ana Vides Porras holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Cultural and Medical Anthropology from the University of Wyoming. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and completed a specialization in Cognitive-Integrative Therapy at Fundación Aiglé, Argentina.
She currently coordinates the Global Citizenship course at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and serves as an associate researcher in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Her research focuses on therapeutic relationships in intercultural contexts, access to healthcare services for vulnerable populations, and intercultural health. She has published several articles in international scientific journals and works as a consultant on research, mental health, and prevention issues.
As a professional, she combines university teaching with clinical practice as a cognitive-integrative therapist. Her work is based on an interdisciplinary approach that integrates anthropology, psychology, and education.
Ilgi Ertem
TURKEY
Prof. Dr. Ilgi Ertem is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, the Founding President of the International Developmental Pediatrics Association (IDPA) and Professor Emeritus, Ankara University, Turkey. Her work has focused on facilitating the inclusion of the teachings and practices of developmental-behavioral pediatrics within health and other systems in Turkey and around the world. She has longstanding international experience in collaborating with colleagues in various countries including Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, Guatemala, India, Italy, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Serbia, South Africa, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and the United States. She is an advisor to the WHO and UNICEF on child development and disability. Dr. Ertem was a Zero to Three Fellow, a Fogarty International Center Women Global Health Scholar and a visiting professor at Yale University. Dr. Ertem is the recipient of large scale international research grants and the developer of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD). She is the author of two books including the WHO published Developmental Difficulties in Early Childhood and publications in prestigious medical journals.
Ashwini Marathe
INDIA
- Developmental Pediatrician at Ummeed Child Development Center-a not for profit organization in Mumbai, India
- Clinical Experience in Pediatrics – 30 years
- Hub team member and trainer for ECHO ADHD – an online interactive and case-based training program for pediatricians, on identification and management of ADHD in children, conducted by Ummeed CDC Mumbai and Sethu Center for Child Development and Family Guidance, Goa.
- Trainer for International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) tool
- Speaker at various workshops, lectures for paediatricians, professionals, teachers, and parents on topics related to Developmental Behavioural Pediatrics
- Publications in peer reviewed journals and presentations at International and National forums.
Amruta Bandal
INDIA
- Study Coordinator, NIH supported research on Effectiveness/ Implementation trial of International Guide for Monitoring Child Development, Department of Community Medicine, MGIMS
- Past research experience: Study coordinator, Inclusive Early Childhood development (0-3) in the context of the Integrated Child Development Service Scheme supported by Porticus
- Site lead, India Standardization Project, Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition (Bayley 4)
- Area of interest: Early Childhood Development and Early Intervention for Special needs children.
- Autism advocate and Parent of an autistic child
Miloš Sremčev
serbia
Olaf kraus de Camargo
Canada
Ezgi Özalp Akin
turkey
Ezgi Özalp Akın is an associate professor at Ankara University Developmental Pediatrics Division, Turkey and a member of International Developmental Pediatrics Association (IDPA) Secretarial Board. She works for the education of medical doctors and pediatricians in developmental pediatrics and using International Guide for Monitoring Child Development, and advocacy for children with developmental difficulties and their families. Her research interests are related to the use of International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health Framework to assess and support children with developmental difficulties and their families.
Selamenesh Tsige Legas
ethiopia
shanti Raman
australia
Kirsty Donald
south africa
Prof Kirsty Donald is Deputy Director of the UCT Neuroscience Institute and for the last 15 years has headed up the Division of Developmental Paediatrics at the Red Cross Children’s War Memorial Hospital.
Scientifically, she has contributed to our understanding of both phenotypic variability and genetic variation in developmental conditions in the African region.
Internationally, she has served on the UNICEF expert panel for global standard-setting in early childhood development and is a member of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use.
Paying forward, Prof Donald has a deep commitment to training and expanding expertise in African neuroscience. Currently, she also leads a large, internationally funded research and capacity development portfolio in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Neuroscience Institute.
Raisa López
guatemala
Raisa López is a clinical psychologist specialized in Art Therapy and Artistic Education for Social Inclusion. Since 2014, she has worked as a therapist, integrating art and creativity into emotional well-being processes. Additionally, since 2015, she has served as a university lecturer, combining her clinical experience with the training of new generations of professionals.
She has extensive experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and developing action plans in both educational and clinical contexts. She has presented at national psychology conferences, sharing her perspective on art and inclusion within the mental health field. Raisa is also a visual artist and theatrical improviser, exploring art’s expressive potential both professionally and personally.
Vibha Krishnamurthy
INDIA
Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, trained in Developmental Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital, Boston, founded Ummeed Child Development Center (ummeed.org) in 2001, and is currently its Executive Director. She has more than 15 years of experience in India as a developmental pediatrician, and has led the team at Ummeed in its delivery of direct services, training, advocacy and research in the field of child development and disability. She serves on expert committees related to Early Childhood Development and Disability for the WHO and Government of India.
Dr Krishnamurthy has been part of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics since 2011. She is currently a co-investigator of a project for developing a tool for monitoring child development, funded by the National Institute of Health, USA.
Her interests are in the area of service delivery, capacity building and advocacy for children with disabilities in resource poor areas.
Dodi meyer
Argentina
Dodi Meyer is a Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair of Community Health in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center, and Medical Director of NYP’s Division of Community and Population Health. Dr Meyer’s work centers on equity through a community engagement lens. She has expertise in developing and sustaining community-academic partnerships for the purpose of training, service, and research. She oversees several population and community health initiatives that address major challenges to health through the interlinking contexts of biology, family, and community. Over the past several years her focus has been on addressing social determinants of health and on creating a two-generation approach to care for the mother-baby dyad in primary care settings and in the community.
As a member of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health she sees patients and teaches residents and medical students at a community-based, hospital- affiliated practice in Washington Heights.
Dodi is a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires, Medical School and arrived to the US in 1988 to do her training in General Pediatrics.
Georgina Perez Liz
mexico
Dr. Georgina Perez Liz is a physician with graduate studies in Public Health and Global Health. Her research trajectory started out in Neuropathology, and then continued onto the field of Public Health. Currently, she works as a research associate at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute, at Drexel University. As part of the Early Detection and Intervention Program at the AJDAI, Dr. Perez Liz studies different aspects of early identification of children with high likelihood of autism, and how co-occurring conditions such as prematurity and cerebral palsy may challenge diagnosis. Dr. Perez is also interested in parent-mediated interventions for autism, and is currently launching a study to implement the Caregiver Skills Training Program (World Health Organization) in Philadelphia with Latinx families. She has done extensive work in partnership with community agencies in Mexico, to help strengthen autism research capacity, and she is also a member of the Latin American Autism Research Network, which conducts research across 9 countries
Sebastián Cukier
Argentina
Medical Doctor (Buenos Aires University), child and adolescent psychiatrist. Head of the Mental Health and Psychopathology Department at the Elizalde Hospital, Buenos Aires. President of the Disability and Development Chapter at the Argentine Psychiatric Association (APSA). Codirector at Fundación Ados (NGO). Co-founder of the REAL research network (Latin American Autism Spectrum Network). “Senior Global Leader” (2021-2026) for Argentina in the International Autism Research Network (INSAR). Trainer at Academia DIR-FCE Profectum. “Master Trainer” and regional focal point of the WHO Caregiver Skills Training programme.
Kareen Gudiel Zelada
Guatemala
Mother of two young adults, the younger of whom, Kenneth, is a 26-year-old person with autism.
Founder of AGUA – Guatemalan Association for Autism. Founding Member of ALaFe – Latin American Autism Federation. Certified Consultant in RDI (Relationship Development Intervention). She has received training in autism and associated disorders (TEACCH, PECS, DIR Floortime, biomedical treatments, neuroscience and neuropsychology, animal-assisted therapy, Sensory Integration, among others).
Board Member representing Latin America at Global Trust Partners (GTP), Board Member of the World Orphan Fund Guatemala, Coordinator of the Annual Autism Seminar in Guatemala, Neurorehabilitation Seminars, Workshops and Trainings in various approaches to Autism and support for Persons with Disabilities.
Speaker and Human Rights Advocate for Persons with Disabilities.
Languages: Spanish (native), English, and Italian.
Carlos Orellana-Ayala
Guatemala
Carlos Enrique Orellana-Ayala is a pediatric neurologist whose practice focuses on neurodevelopment, learning, and behavior. He was director of the Neurodevelopmental Training Program and the Neonatal Neurology Specialization Program at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and the Centro Universitario de Occidente.
His current work focuses on generating information and implementing training programs for parents and teachers of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum and other conditions within Neurodevelopmental Disorders. He promotes the knowledge of pediatricians in growth and development, especially for the early detection and referral of children with suspected autism.
Ryan Jackson
USA
Ryan Jackson, MD is a physician who has spent his career trying to help make the world a little bit better each day. He has provided disaster relief in more than a dozen countries after earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, and other devastating events which afflict our world. He has assisted with projects to provide food, shelter, medical care, prosthetic limbs, emotional support, environmental restoration, and education. He has worked as Dean and Chief Academic Officer of medical schools and board member of organizations helping with educating girls Afghanistan. In each role, his vision is to help others find the peace which can only come through restored hope.
Ziba Vaghri
CANADA
Dr Ziba Vaghri is an Associate Professor at UNB who also holds a research chair in Child Rights & Child Development. With over two decades of extensive international research and experience in the areas of child development and child rights, she is one of the leading scholars in creating linkages between these two fields of Child Development and Child Rights.
She has worked with various universities, and UN agencies including the UN CRC, WHO, UNESCO, and UNICEF and served as the ECD-Technical Officer in WHO-HQ in Geneva. She is the Principal Investigator and director of the GlobalChild Program which resulted in the development of the world’s first comprehensive child rights monitoring platform: the GlobalChild platform. She has implemented ground-breaking knowledge translation activities such as the ‘Global Child Rights Dialogue (GCRD)’ which sought the opinions of children from 43 countries on their rights under the CRC.
Dr. Vaghri is the lead author of two highly acclaimed books: “Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child” and the very recent Open-access book “ Children’s rights-based indicators” which Provides a succinct overview of how to measure the implications of every CRC article in practice.
Gloria Rodríguez Gil
Costa rica
Gloria is the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Perkins School for the Blind. With over 30 years of experience in visual impairment, deafblindness, and multiple disabilities, she has been a key figure in creating inclusive educational programs in the region. Born and trained in Costa Rica, Spain, and the United States, she has led initiatives in several countries and founded the first program for deafblind children in Central America. She holds postgraduate degrees in Special Education from the University of Costa Rica and Boston College, and has been recognized for her work with scholarships, publications, and conferences at an international level. Since 2019, she has been leading innovative strategies to transform public educational systems with a contextualized and sustainable approach.
María Antonia Vázquez
argentina
María is a professor and holds a degree in Special Education, a master’s in Educational Research, and is a graduate of the Educational Leadership Program at Perkins School for the Blind. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked in teaching, research, and consulting in the areas of multiple disabilities, literacy, behavior, and communication. She founded and directed the NGO ACIPDIM in Argentina until 2020, and has trained numerous professionals in special education. She currently works as a researcher and quality manager at Perkins Latin America, leading documentation and monitoring processes in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, in addition to continuing as a university professor.
Daniela Roldan
argentina
Pediatric Physician
Specialist in Pediatric Intensive Care
Member of the Clinical Ethics Committee at J.B. Alberdi Hospital from 1999 to 2010
Member of the Teaching and Research Committee at V.J. Vilela Children’s Hospital from 2010 to 2022
Research Assistant in the GMCD study
Head of the Inpatient Ward for Complex Chronic Conditions at V.J. Vilela Children’s Hospital
Berenice Carroli
argentina
Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy since December 2003, obtained from the Faculty of Psychology at the Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Rosario Regional Campus.
Occupational Therapy Degree Program Management Assistant from August 2007 to present.
Professor of the Thesis Seminar course from 2011 to present.
Instructor of Pre-Professional Occupational Therapy Practice in Psychosocial Dysfunctions at the playroom of Víctor J. Vilela Children’s Hospital from February 2022 to present.
Co-investigator in two research and development projects from September 2022 to present.
